Practicing Free Speech Sparks Violence By Terrorists *Open Thread*

This morning brings the news of two Muslim terrorists firing assault rifles outside an event held in Garland Texas by Pamela Geller. Those terrorists were killed by police officers, but the REASON why these terrorists were there, as far as we know, is because of an art contest for cartoons depicting Muhammad.

Oh, the horror – cartoons of Muhammad. How DARE they. Ahem.

If you are unfamiliar with Pamela Geller, you can read more about her and her work fighting against Islamic extremism and Shariah Law in this country HERE.

Geller was on Fox and Friends this morning defending the competition (won by a former Muslim by the way), and the issue of Free Speech in this country when it comes to Islamic extremism and Shariah Law. That she HAD to defend having the conference says a lot already, but here are her comments. I urge you to watch the entire video:

Fascinating claim Geller makes about Hillary Clinton and the filmmaker the President and then-Secretary of State blamed and nabbed for the terrorist attack in Benghazi. Geller’s classification of him as a “political prisoner” and the sanctioned implementation of Shariah Law by the Government (or words to that effect) were eye-opening.

[…] One of the suspects in the shooting in Garland, Texas late Sunday has been identified as Elton Simpson, an Arizona man who was previously the subject of a terror investigation, according to a senior FBI official.

Overnight and today FBI agents and a bomb squad were at Simpson’s home in an apartment complex in north Phoenix where a robot is believed to be conducting an initial search of the apartment.

Officials believe Simpson is the person who sent out several Twitter messages prior to the attack on Sunday, in the last one using the hashtag #TexasAttack about half an hour before the shooting.

[…]

Simpson was well known to the FBI. Five years ago he was convicted for lying to federal agents about his plans to travel to Africa, but a judge ruled the government did not adequately prove he was going to join a terror group there.

Like I said, what the hell does it take for the FBI to deem any further action is warranted? Thank God the police took these men out before they could do any further harm to First Amendment practicing Americans, but that these terrorists were even in a POSITION to cause harm after being investigated by the FBI does not speak well for the FBI, in my humble opinion.

Twitchy had this update from a Volokh Conspiracy piece back in 2011 about one of the terrorists involved, Elton Simpson:

… The problem … is that the Government has not established with the requisite level of proof, that the Defendant’s potential travel to Somalia (and his false statement about his discussions regarding his travels) was sufficiently “related” to international terrorism. Rather, the Government missed several steps to meeting its burden for establishing this charge. As a result, the Court cannot find the Defendant eligible for the sentence enhancement….

And there ya have it. Not just my opinion about the FBI, but one shared by the Volokh Conspiracy, too. The FBI is missing some major chances here, and it is disconcerting at bet.

But back to what happened in Garland, Texas, and the attempts to limit our Free Speech rights in this country. Dr. Zuhdi Jasser had quite a bit to say about this issue Monday morning, and the problem with appeasement of these jihadists. Basically, he said that if we appease them on this – drawing cartoons of Muhammad – what will be the NEXT appeasement? That video is not yet available, but there is this one from Dr. Jasser’s appearance on Stossel a year ago in which he says very muchthe same thing:

Dr. Jasser is a Muslim, and knows whereof he speaks. Perhaps we should be paying more attention to him than to those demanding we curtail our speech lest we hurt the delicate sensibilities of those who wish to do us harm. As Pamela Geller said, just because someone is offended by something doesn’t give them the right to start SHOOTING at people.

No freakin’ kidding. The sooner we accept that people do not have the right to not be offended or insulted, and push back against this concept of Political Correctness, especially to APPEASE those who wish to do us harm, the better.

Literally made me LOL with that one, Marge! Yeah – I am sure that is why he hasn’t said anything yet, Foxy. He’s too busy trying to divide us racially at the moment, and give the store away to Iran to mention this terrorist attack in Texas.

Frankly, I am sick and tired of hearing how “controversial” the event was. It is only controversial for the thinnest of skinned Islamists/jihadists, and why should we allow THEM to dictate ANYTHING to us?? This country has lost sight of so much under this Administration. Just disturbing…

I’m on the other end of Texas. The border is porous. Guess what? The Hispanic population is perfect for blending in. These ISIS creeps aren’t stupid, they actually learn the language and fit in very well.

This is free speech. They set this up after the Hebdo attack. This wasn’t a baiting issue. I am glad that it turned out okay. I pray daily that somehow these cretins will be flushed out. in the sunshine just like the cockroaches that they are.

Court documents show that a man named Elton Simpson was convicted in Phoenix of lying to the FBI in January 2010, about whether he’d discussed traveling to Somalia. According to trial testimony, Simpson is an American Muslim who became the subject of a criminal investigation in 2006 because of his association “with an individual whom the FBI believed was attempting to set up a terrorist cell in Arizona.”

mcnorman, thanks for this – I am just SMH in disgust with how the border is being treated by the Dems in Charge. It is truly upsetting for a HOST of reasons, and allowing in terrorists is a BIG one.

This morning, there was a former Secret Service agent, Dan Bongino, along with Dr. Jasser, who spoke abt how porous the border is. That this Administration and the Powers-That-Be continue to deny it just makes them look stupid. Same goes for anyone who actually BELIEVES them…

Just take a good look at the border cities and who runs them. The trade is free entitlement to what the rest of us schlep through our lives.

I remember when the university gave all the Mexi students in state tuition. I thought that was the least that they should pay as they already had taken dual citizenship and K-12 public schooling. I always told the takers to try this crap in Mexico. Silence. BTW, if it were not for the Dems, these cities would not exist.

BTW, I am not thrilled that this mess happened here in Texas but if the focus takes on the porous border then so be it. Many in DFW area are unhappy that Pamela came to do this event here. They are also the ones that are so far removed from the border bs that life is just peachy up until last night. I think that everyone should remember that violence and hate is ISIS. We are oceans removed from what they are doing to anyone not following their insanity. When it hits home, people wake up. 9/11 should have been the wake up call to all Americans, but we have a very short term memory.

I totally hear you on that, Mcnorman – not being happy abt the what happened, but that is shines a light on the border issues at least – the Dems (and some Reps) have done a mighty fine job of ignoring the reality there, dismissing the reports, and all of that. If there is some good that can come out of this, let it be that those in power have to finally address how bad things have gotten there. I don’t expect Obama to do that, no – but maybe some others will finally admit it…

Btw, this whole in-state tuition thing makes me nuts. I simply do not understand why ANYONE who is here illegally can get in-state tuition or even get INTO college/grad school! When I was in college, I worked in the Admissions Office, and dealt with a lot of international students. The requirements were VERY clear abt documentation needed and all of that. In Grad School I worked in the Financial Aid Office, and the requirements for documentation for Financial Aid were exhaustive. So how in the HELL have we gotten to the point that someone who can not prove they are in the country LEGALLY is getting all these perks?? It is insanity – sheer insanity.

And you’re absolutely SPOT on – try this in Mexico. Or Canada. If a bunch of illegals started demonstrating and picketing demanding all these rights, they would be summarily rounded up and thrown in JAIL, not given all the benefits they were demanding! UGH.

Hey – if you have written or ever want to write abt this issue from your experience, mcnorman, I would LOVE to post it!

I remember Brian Williams doing a story for NBC about how the kids walk over the bridge daily to our public schools. I was angry back then and am still quite salty about it. I would never say no to someone who towed the line just as my grandmother and mother did. They waited and paid their dues in line. There is so much to write about, it could be an epic novel. LOL

And that’s the thing that really irks me, too – the people who worked SO hard to jump through all the hoops, do everything by the book, who wanted nothing more than to be an American citizen, compared to those who are sneaking through and rail against any kind of American pride. It is just stunning…

The video, which appears to be part of a new series promoting the services run by the caliphate, shows Kamleh in a maternity ward in the Islamic State stronghold of Al-Raqqa and saying that he regrets not coming to join Islamic State sooner.

“After being here, it’s disappointing to think how many fellow Muslim brothers and sisters who are in the medical field … are still living in the west,” he says.

If it had been the other way around – if the officer had killed the good for nothing trouble maker – the fauxrage would be deafening and the thugs would be headed for the streets to protest and pillage.

A good man, a man who contributed to his community, a man of value is dead and the silence is deafening.

Baltimore Police: Shots fired at Pennsylvania Ave. and North Ave. Suspect was armed with a weapon, attempted to throw it. May have discharged. No one hit – @BaltimoreBNN
see original on twitter.com
Baltimore unrest, 2015
3m
At corner of North & Pennsylvania in Baltimore, police appear to have shot young man. Riot police back on scene, people stumbling away with spray in eyes – @HannahAllam

now the Baltimore cops say no shooting by cop. witness swears she saw a cop shoot a young black male as he was running away. At least one shot was heard. Cops said victim had a gun, dropped it and it discharged. guy fell to sidewalk, was taken away in an ambulance

Helen, no doubt you are right abt this – if people don’t know the history of a country like this one, all that people fought for, and all the many rights we have as a result, then sure – they are going to believe the BS being spewed abt how AWFUL it is.

Last night, two heavily armed gunmen, equipped with AK-47s and drum-type, high capacity magazines were shot and killed by alert police after they opened fire on an unarmed security guard assigned to protect a First Amendment, Free Speech event in Garland Texas. The event was organized by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), headed by Pam Geller and featured drawings and depictions of Mohammed, believed to be a prophet & messenger of God by devout Muslims. As underscored by the Charlie Hebdo attacks, Muslims have resorted to terrorism and murder to prevent anyone from displaying imagery of Mohammed.

AFDI hosted the event to underscore a core American belief enshrined in the United States Constitution that Americans have a broad, inalienable right to free speech so long as others are not directly endangered by that speech. But the New York Times saw it differently and couldn’t help but take an unfair swipe at the AFDI. On May 4, the paper ran the following headline; “Official Identifies One Suspect in Attack at Texas Anti-Islam Event.”

No it isn’t a surprise, but it sure is telling. When did Liberals start blatantly supporting terrorist groups? Hamas (Jimmy Carter just the other day said they want peace; Netanyahu doesn’t), Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR, et.al, and blaming the victims in Texas and Paris (Gary Trudeau)…I just do not get it. I don’t get it. It is just INSANE to me.

No, I can’t. It just defies any logic or reason, Marge. Even when I was a far Leftie, I was very clear abt the danger radical Muslims posed to us. After all the bombings we suffered at their hands, this Appeasement Campaign is just insane, IMHO.